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dance band. We’d heard that a few of the local girls might show up. I knew some of the guys were looking for more than a dance. A couple of them knew I had a girlfriend back in Bremerton, so I took some razzing about being faithful. I didn’t mind; I was still remembering Jean’s laughter. I had a couple of dances and then decided to go back to the hotel bar where I ran into some more cadet friends. I don’t remember much more about that evening. I know I closed the bar somewhere around two o’clock in the morning. I think the elevator man helped me to my room.
A Day of Infamy
    I woke up the next day, Sunday, December 7, 1941, lying on the bed still dressed, shoes and all. I looked at my watch; it was afternoon already. At least I remembered that it was Sunday. God, maybe a shower would help that head of mine. I must have really celebrated. I took a long shower, finishing with cold water. I dressed, packed up my gear and headed for the coffee shop. It was crowded with cadets and a few civilians. It was very noisy. Everyone was talking at once and trying to listen to a small radio to what sounded like a news broadcast. I couldn’t hear the radio from where I sat. I remember turning to the cadet sitting next to me and asking, “What’s going on?” His response hit me hard. “The Japs have bombed Pearl Harbor! A bus is coming to pick us up. We’ve been ordered back to the base.”
    The rest of that day and night was a blur. We had a radio in our room, and we all listened until well after taps, hoping for more information. We did get some good news, however; none of our carriers were in the harbor at Hawaii when the Japanese attacked. I remember too, that I experienced some very mixed feelings as I listened to the news.
    When I joined the Navy flight program, the idea of fighting a war wasn’t in my plans. I joined because I wanted to marry Jean. Now here I am training to be a Navy pilot. If I make it through the program, I’m going to fight the Japs. I have no doubts about that, but I’m not so sure that is what I want to do. Sure, the whole idea is exciting and challenging, but I’ll be fighting an enemy who will be trying to kill me. It will give me a real chance to prove myself, though. I will no longer be just an unknown kid from Bremerton. I’m not afraid of the challenge.
    The day following Pearl Harbor, the base commander ordered all cadets to prepare to “pass in review.” We assembled in formation, by class, with our
    As we stood in formation, the base commander spoke, giving us the official details of the Japanese attack. We were told that the president was going to declare a state of war between the United States and Japan. The commander closed his remarks by reminding us that we would soon be facing a well-prepared and vicious enemy. He closed, wishing us God’s speed in our future as naval aviators.
    I still remember the thrill I felt as the station band began to play, “Anchors Away” and I heard the ringing orders of our cadet officers: “Cadet battalion, pass in review.” Eight hundred cadets marched to the music, passed the reviewing stand, and each battalion honored our commander and our Navy. Our country was at war. I remember how proud I was to be a Naval Aviation Cadet.
    An N2S-3, Yellow Peril, takes off after a rainstorm
Advanced Traing Decisions
    That evening, my roommates and I spent the time before taps talking about our future as we continued our training. Each cadet could request the type of advanced flight training he wanted. Archie knew exactly what he wanted to do. Of the four of us, his flight grades were the best, especially in aerobatics. He had already requested fighters for his advanced training. His position was that, after going through all this training, he wanted to fight the Japs. Harry wanted multi-engine training in the PBYs, the big twin-engine seaplanes. (The P stood for patrol plane; the B for bombing; and the Y for the aircraft company that built the plane. See